9 Business Lessons These Entrepreneurs Learned from Their Girl Scout Beginnings

At B+C we are huge champions of empowering women of all ages, which is one of the reasons we are such big advocates of the Girl Scouts. We’re so excited to be partnering with Dunkin’ Donuts and the launch of their Girl Scout Cookie™ Inspired Coffee Flavors. In celebration, we’re featuring a diverse array of influential women who have one thing in common: These successful ladies were all Girl Scouts in their early days! Lucky for us, they will be sharing the skills and leadership lessons that they learned and some classic #TBT snaps of where it all began. So let’s get to it, starting with our very own Brit Morin.

Brit Morin, Founder and CEO of Brit + Co, says she can thank Girl Scouts for making her comfortable pitching to strangers. “I honestly learned a lot from selling cookies! It takes a lot of courage to pitch something to a stranger and I also learned business skills early on, like how to convince someone to believe in what you’re selling. Marketing 101!”

Meet Rochelle Johnson of Beauticurve. Rochelle is a full-time fashion and lifestyle blogger who says the first and most important skill she learned was having good character. “As a young girl, that meant being kind to others and telling the truth, but as an adult it means the same and so much more. I strive to keep my image and interactions positive and respectful. People recognize/admire my work but also my character.”

Rachel Martino of Rachmartino is a full-time content creator and blogger living in NYC. Rachel was in Girl Scouts all the way through high school and says one of the most important skills she learned was entrepreneurship. “After three wonderful years at my corporate job I decided to take the leap and become a full-time blogger. I think that entrepreneurial girl who went from selling cookies to selling lipsticks was ready!” Get it girl!

Natalie Suarez of Natalie Off Duty is a model, editor, writer, and entrepreneur. Among other things, Natalie says she learned positivity through her time spent in Girl Scouts. “Integrity. Honesty. Loyalty. These are traits that being a Girl Scout is all about. It’s about being that positive energy to get you through anything.”

Mara Ferreira of M Loves M works as a blogger full time. Mara says that her interest to try new things is something she acquired in the Girl Scouts. “I love the creative part of my job, and I feel like the interest in trying new things also stems from my time as a Girl Scout.”

Lauren Saylor founded A Fabulous Fete, where she creates content, styles, designs, and hand letters. “I think the biggest thing I can remember as a Girl Scout that has impacted how I run my business is making everyone feel welcome, included, and an essential part of the team.”

Sylvie Esmundo of Sylvie in the Sky is a Lifestyle and Fashion Influencer, as well as an e-commerce Manager for a large retailer. She attributes the art of listening as her greatest Girl Scout leadership lesson. “Listening,” she says, “to my team, to my customers, my leaders, my friends, and family reveals the opportunities, the weaknesses, and it keeps teams happy when they are heard.”

Kelly Mindell runs the DIY lifestyle site Studio DIY! where they create colorful content and products to help make life a party. Being a Girl Scout is where Kelly learned to problem solve and sell products. “As a Girl Scout, I learned to problem solve, be creative, and sell a product I believe in. This started with cookies (still believe in them, ha!) and now has segued into the clutches, balloons, and other products I design.”

Jen Pinkston of The Effortless Chic, a wardrobe stylist turned blogger and content creator, traces a multitude of her skills back to her Girl Scout days. “Now that I lead a small team of my own, there are a whole new set of skills that I find myself using that are traceable to the core values instilled in me during my Girl Scout years — setting goals, motivating peers, and creatively solving problems, among them. The girls I work with now are just my grown-up tribe!”

Be sure to check out all the Girl Scout Cookie™ Inspired Coffee Flavors at Dunkin’ Donuts, available in Thin Mints®, Coconut Caramel, and Peanut Butter Cookie! Girl Scouts has not only inspired Dunkin’s Flavors this quarter, but our female leaders over the years… and these leaders are at the backbone of What Keeps America Running.